bosch ser 4 freestanding dishwasher sms4eki06g the undisputed world champ of dishwashers

£549.00 john lewises. the trend now is for people to have two (two) dishwashers and rotate all your stuff between them, one dirty and one clean. also means that you can wait until the "dirty" one is full and then run fewer part loads.

surprisingly some people don't adopt "best practice" for the loading the dishwasher activity so i've typed up the following instructions for you so you can print them off and tape them to the front of the machine for her to read.

right, let's get into this s**t...

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top rack

put:

glasses
mugs
bowls
plastic containers (top rack only)
small plates (if they fit)

tips:

angle cups and bowls downwards so water can reach inside and drain out.
don't nest bowls inside one another.
leave a small gap between glasses to prevent them knocking together.

bottom rack

put:

dinner plates
serving dishes
pots and pans
oven-safe dishes

tips:

face the dirty surface towards the centre of the dishwasher, where the spray arms are strongest.
large items go around the edges or back so they don't block the spray.

cutlery

if you have a basket:

mix knives, forks and spoons together rather than grouping all forks or all spoons. this helps prevent "nesting", where pieces stick together and don't get cleaned.

place forks and spoons handle-down for better cleaning (unless they're very sharp).
put sharp knives handle-up for safer unloading. a 31-year-old woman in Scotland died after slipping and falling onto a knife that was standing upright in an open dishwasher. The knife penetrated her chest. do not do that.

if you have a third cutlery tray usually at the top of the mochine:

spread each piece out individually.
avoid overlapping.

don't block the spray arms

before starting a cycle, spin the spray arms by hand to check nothing is obstructing them. this is IMPORTANT

don't overcrowd

one of the biggest mistakes is trying to fit in too much.

water needs space to circulate. a slightly less full dishwasher often cleans better than one crammed to capacity.

scrape, don't rinse

modern dishwashers are designed to cope with food residue.

just scrape large scraps into the bin. pre-rinsing is usually unnecessary and can actually reduce the effectiveness of some detergents, which are formulated to work on soiled dishes.

keep tall items to the sides

tall chopping boards, trays or baking sheets can block water from reaching other dishes if they're placed across the middle.

the "golden rules":

if you remember nothing else:

✔ face dirty surfaces towards the centre.
✔ don't let items touch or overlap.
✔ keep spray arms free to rotate.
✔ angle anything that can hold water downwards.
✔ avoid overloading.
✔ use the correct amount of detergent and refill rinse aid and dishwasher salt if your machine requires them.

the biggest single improvement most people can make is loading less densely. dishwashers clean by spraying water, not by soaking, so giving the water clear paths between items has a bigger effect on cleaning performance than almost anything else.

oh, and remove and clean the filter out at least once a month ideally with an old toothbrush and some fairy liquids.
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this episode of mansplaining on the internets was brought to you in association with Balmforth's Trusted Preservo Dubbin (Made in England).

Posted By: Tombs on June 30th 2026 at 15:27:31

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